Shankar Balasubramanian awarded the Royal Medal 2018

Congratulations to Shankar Balasubramanian who, along with Cambridge University Professor David Klenerman, has been awarded the Royal Medal in 2018 in recognition of their co-development of DNA sequencing techniques transforming biology and genomic medicine.

There are 3 Royal Medals awarded annually and each will receive a medal of silver gilt and a gift of £10,000 at the Premier Awards Dinner in October 2018.

Each year two medals are awarded for the most important contributions to the advancement of “Natural Knowledge” in the physical and biological sciences respectively. A third medal is awarded for distinguished contributions in the applied sciences.

The three Royal Medals, also known as the Queen’s Medals, are awarded annually by the Sovereign on the recommendation of the Council of the Society. Frederick Sanger FRS, Max Perutz FRS and Francis Crick FRS are among those who have been awarded a Royal Medal.

The Royal Medals were founded by HM King George IV in 1825. Between 1826 and 1964 two medals were awarded each year. In 1965 the third medal, covering the applied sciences, was introduced on behalf of HM The Queen.